There is generally a desire to reduce the concentration of fats and oils in food intake. However, in spite of this "healthy-eating" drive, there is also the requirement for food products to have the desired rich and creamy taste and appearance. This conflict of requirements is particularly noticeable in the sauce and soup market.
Both fats and oils are based on triglycerides and each may be used as a sauce or soup component, in order to achieve the necessary textural characteristics, in particular creaminess and smoothness, in association with a desirable flavour. For convenience the term "fat" will be used to identify the liquid triglyceride component in the sauces or soups.
The applicants have now discovered that the desirable characteristics of low fat, creaminess, smoothness and richness can all be achieved in a sauce or soup, provided that the particle size distribution of the fat droplets dispersed in the aqueous medium is controlled.